Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
Date Night Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta is the perfect combination of tender pasta, spicy Cajun chicken, crispy pancetta all brought together in an easy sun dried tomato pesto sauce. Robust, packed with flavor and ready in just 30 minutes, this is one easy chicken dinner that will soon become the perfect “staying in is the new going out” date night dinner in!
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
When it comes to having a date night at home, this is pasta and sun dried tomato dish is my favorite! Going out on the town gets pretty pricey these days so serving up a tasty, robust pasta and chicken dinner without the hassle of leaving the house is a win/win in my book. So what is sun dried tomato pesto pasta? Simply put, this is an easy chicken recipe loaded with TONS if flavor that will leave your family fighting for seconds. This recipe is a combination of tender pasta (any shape you like best) and Cajun seasoned chicken mixed together in a creamy sun dried tomato pesto sauce. Swoon!
WHAT IS SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO?
If you are a love of all things pesto, this easy tomato pesto will make you happy. Sun dried tomato pesto recipe is robust, bursting with flavor and so versatile that you can use it on more that just this pasta recipe.
For this tomato pesto recipe, you are combining sun dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, and parmesan cheese with a few seasonings you probably already have in your pantry.
The best part is that this sun dried tomato pesto is pulled together in just 5 minutes and brings so much flavor to this chicken dinner.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Time – Who doesn’t love a easy 30 minute meal? This pasta chicken dish is hitting your table and bringing your family together FAST!
- Flavor – This is a robust sun dried tomato pesto jammed with flavor combined with Cajun seasoned chicken, al dente pasta and a creamy sauce. Seriously good eats!
- Easy – The tomato pesto only takes 5 minutes to make.. that’s insane!! Sauté up some chicken, boil off some pasta, cook off some pancetta (or bacon!), mix it all together and you are eatin’ good before a take out order could even think of reaching your house.
TOMATO PESTO PASTA INGREDIENTS
- Sun dried tomatoes – Grab a jar of sun dried tomatoes pack in oil, not water
- Garlic – All good things start with fresh garlic
- Basil – Fresh basil please .. grab some fresh basil from the produce department of your grocery store or a farmers market
- Parmesan cheese – Salty, nutty flavor and helps thicken the pesto and sauce
- Olive oil – Foundation of your tomato pesto
- Seasonings – Flavor
- Chicken – I prefer to use chicken breast in this recipe
- Flour – Thickening for your sauce
- Creole Seasoning – Found in the seasoning section of your grocery store, this is a flavorful seasoning with a bit of spicy kick to it
- Pasta – Any shape of pasta you like best is fine to use.
- Pancetta – Cook crispy
- Butter – Flavor
- Heavy cream – This will make your pesto sauce super creamy
- Chicken stock – You can sub chicken stock with chicken broth, if you prefer.
- Pinot grigio wine – Add acidity and flavor but if you prefer to leave this out, simply substitute the amount called for with chicken stock.
SUBSTITUTIONS
- Not a fan of chicken? Substitute the chicken breast in this date night dish with shrimp, scallops or even fried tofu.
- This dish is super versatile when it comes to picking the pasta. I found these amazing squirrely pasta noodles at my local farmers market but this dish would be perfect served up over fettuccine, spaghetti, bow tie pasta.. the possibilities are endless.
- Can’t find pancetta at your local grocery store? Add in six slices of crispy cooked bacon or one of the pre-cooked bacon pouches.
- This recipe calls for quite a bit of basil .. my local grocery store sells 3 leaves of basil for 6 million dollars .. try picking some up from your local farmers market, if possible. I find you can purchase quite a bit at a fraction of the price you will pay for a package at a big name grocery store.
- Pinot grigio wine – Add acidity and flavor but if you prefer to leave this out, simply substitute the amount called for with chicken stock.
TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE
- Amazon affiliate links* As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
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5.5 Qt Sauté Pan with Lid : My favorite sauté pan, this is the perfect size to cook most meals.
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Hamilton Beach Electric Vegetable Chopper & Mini Food Processor : I cannot live without this little food chopper!
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Nonstick 5 Quart Pot : My favorite pot to cook pasta.
HOW DO YOU MAKE SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO PASTA?
To make this Date Night Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta, start by making your sun-dried tomato pesto.
- Add garlic, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, olive oil and spices to a small food processor and pulse until well combined but still a bit chunky.
- Set aside. Next, add flour and dredge spices to a medium sized bowl and stir the ingredients together to combine.
- Cut your chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and lightly dredge in the flour mixture, making sure all sides of your chicken are covered.
- Shake off any excess flour and move to a large plate to sit until all of your chicken has been coated and save your unused dredge flour.. you will need that later.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and once boiling, add in pasta and cook based on package instructions.
- While you pasta is cooking, add olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat.
- Once your oil is heated, add the chicken pieces to the skillet in a single layer and turning often, cook until browned and no longer pink in the middle.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Next, add in the pancetta to the skillet and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Once cooked, remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the grease from the pancetta in the skillet.
- Add butter to the skillet and once butter has melted, add 4 tablespoons of the reserved unused dredge flour and whisk to combine.
- Whisk in the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and the heavy cream and bring to a low boil.
- Add in the parmesan cheese, spices and sun-dried tomato pesto and still well to combine.
- Once your pasta has cooked, drain and add to your pesto sauce, along with the chicken and pancetta. Serve with crusty bread and an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
EXPERT TIPS
- If you love sun dried tomatoes like it do, make extra sun dried tomato pesto to use on sandwiches, bruschetta or even mixing in with roasted veggies.
- Pick any style or shape of pasta you like for this chicken dinner recipe. There are no rules!
- Sometimes pancetta can be hard to find. I usually am able to grab some up from my deli section but feel free to substitute the pancetta with bacon if it is easier.
- I am a huge fan of grating my parmesan cheese by hand but feel free to grab whatever cheese makes you happy.
WHAT ARE SUN-DRIED TOMATOES?
Sun dried tomatoes are just what their name states .. they are fresh tomatoes that lose the majority of their water content due to being treated and laid out to dry out in the sun. They are sold packed in oil or in a pouch and hold on to their nutritional content while concentrating their flavor. They are perfect for adding to pesto, sauces, salads, sandwiches and anything else you can think of.
MORE TOMATO RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE
- Tequila Lime Chicken with Tomato Corn Salad
- Cherry Tomato Goat Cheese Bruschetta
- Chipotle Tomato Salsa (Copycat)
Enjoy!
Date Night Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
- 10 ounces sun-dried tomatoes in oil .. do not drain the oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder or red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Cajun Chicken Dredge
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 teaspoon onion powder
- 3 teaspoon garlic powder
Date Night Pasta
- 2 pounds chicken breasts .. cleaned and cut into bite size pieces
- 10 Ounces Pasta, any shape
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces pancetta diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons reserved dredge flour
- 8 ounces pinot grigio wine
- 6 ounces heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
- 1 1/2 cup sun-dried tomato pesto
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- crusty bread .. optional but highly suggested
Instructions
- To make this Date Night Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta, start by making your sun-dried tomato pesto. Add garlic, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, olive oil and spices to a small food processor and pulse until well combined but still a bit chunky. Set aside.
- Next, add flour and dredge spices to a medium sized bowl and stir the ingredients together to combine. Cut your chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and lightly dredge in the flour mixture, making sure all sides of your chicken are covered. Shake off any excess flour and move to a large plate to sit until all of your chicken has been coated and save your unused dredge flour.. you will need that later.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and once boiling, add in pasta and cook based on package instructions. While you pasta is cooking, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once your oil is heated, add the chicken pieces to the skillet in a single layer and turning often, cook until browned and no longer pink in the middle. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Next, add in the pancetta to the skillet and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes, stirrying often. Once cooked, remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the grease from the pancetta in the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet and once butter has melted, add 4 tablespoons of the reserved unused dredge flour and whisk to combine. Whisk in the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and the heavy cream and bring to a low boil. Add in the parmesan cheese, spices and sun-dried tomato pesto and still well to combine. Once your pasta has cooked, drain and add to your pesto sauce, along with the chicken and pancetta. Serve with crusty bread and an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
Notes
- If you love sun dried tomatoes like it do, make extra sun dried tomato pesto to use on sandwiches, bruschetta or even mixing in with roasted veggies.
- Pick any style or shape of pasta you like for this chicken dinner recipe. There are no rules!
- Sometimes pancetta can be hard to find. I usually am able to grab some up from my deli section but feel free to substitute the pancetta with bacon if it is easier.
- I am a huge fan of grating my parmesan cheese by hand but feel free to grab whatever cheese makes you happy.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in February of 2019 but was republished with an updated recipe, new photos, step by step instructions and tips in March of 2024.
This was soooo good!!! I think next time I may scale back on the creole seasoning in the sauce so it’s less salty. But other than that – so so so delicious! Thank you!